Automatic emergency radio control



Jan. 16, 1951 B. TURNER AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY RADIO CONTROL Filed Nov. 14. 1947 NORMAL POWER FEED I|l|\|\|||}- Patented Jan. 16, 1951 AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY RADIO CONTROL Blaine Turner, Portland, reg assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of fifty-nine and onesi-xth per cent to Victor T. Wiglesworth, five per cent to Paul A. Wicke, and twoand threesixths per centto Estella Davis, all of Portland,

Oreg.

Application N ovember 14, 1947, Serial No. 786,032

2 Claims. 1'

This invention relates to method and means for production of automatically transmitted emergency and distress impulses.

It is an object of this invention to provide for the aeronautics and aircraft safety arts and sci-' ences method and means whereby aircraft and the like in instances of distress and emergency, and concurrently in the absence of human direction, can transmit by radio frequency energy suitable distress signals such that observers afar can detect by suitable radio frequency energy reception means the said signals.

It is an object of my invention to provide for a variety of vehicles radio signal distress transmission apparatus which functions automatically or manually, as desired and as indicated by the circumstance, which can be installed upon and form a part of the accessory equipment of the said vehicles; these being aircraft in particular, but also including land-traversing vehicles, e. g., snow tractors and automobiles, aswell as water'- traversing vehicles, e. g., small or large ships.

Another object of my invention is to provide a power-plant controlled element which actuates a radio circuit wherein the said circuit becomes opened upon operancy of the power-plant and closed in the event of failure thereof and, as

desired, cooperant with manual circuit control means.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of the present disclosure:

l is a radio frequency energy transmitter, of

kinds well known and not new with me, but preferably sending signals which fall into the International Distress Signal frequency; H, is the case, of suitable construction and materials, therefor,

2 is a reserve power source, say a battery; 22, is an electric conduit therefrom, to .a master control switch, 3, which is a three-contact switch; 333, a lead therefrom to a suitable relay, 3, which is contained within; ll,

C designates a relay contact, with 5 being electric conduit to the transmitter, I itself; a battery, B, is also placed within, H, and forms part of the circuit, more fully described infra, the battery and relay having leads 55 and 555 leading to a manual switch, 6, for controlling the circuit,

Further, in the figure, G refers to a generator, which forms a part of the power-plant of the vehicle; 1, is a lead from the generator to the control switch, 3, through the contact, TI, and through the aforementioned circuits 333; 8 is a manual cut-off switch mounted within access of the operator of the vehicle. The aerial or antenna, which may be of a plurality of designs,

according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art, is designated by the letter A.

It is too well-known and significant to be overemphasized that many lives are lost through inability of say an aircraft to notify observers afar from the plane that distress or crash in imminent. Furthermore, substantially at crash, human operators may be rendered unable to send such radio distress signals as may be desired. It is therefore important to have available method and means whereby emergency radio signals can be sent from say an airplane either just before crash or emergency landing, by means of the pilot, or after a crash by automatic means.

In this invention a distress signal may be sent under the a-fore-mentioned conditions, and, dc.- pending upon the design and construction of this invention, these signals may be sent for periods of at least several hundred hours, thus assuring that not only will the distressed condition of the plane and its occupants be received but also that by such radio location and detection methods as are well known in the art as to enable exact location of the plane.

In this invention a radio transmitter is actuated by failure of the power-plant or power accessories thereof, or, as may be desired, by manual operation of a switch within easy reach of the pilot. Once in operation, this invention operates automatically, under conditions that may have involved shock and fire, for a period which is governed by its reserve power supply lifetime.

The radio transmitter is preferably of the small, light-weight portable type, operating from self -contained batteries, and encased within suitable enveloping material. Further description of the transmitter is not deemed necessary since a rather large number and wide variety of such transmitters are known, and choice of the more suitable designs and sizes will be regulated by the circumstance of application, according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

The envelope or casing for the transmitter, I, must be of'very rugged construction, preferably double-walled, with a filling that imparts the fire-proof characteristic thereto, say asbestos. I prefer casing material of metal or non-burnable plastic, such that exposure to flames and extreme shock will not greatly injure its contents. In ad-- dition, suitable shock absorbing material may be placed within the container, I, say sponge rubber, or perhaps sponge rubber with the entire contents of the envelope immersed in oil.

Moreover, the radio transmitter and accessory elements contained within the casing, II, should be water-tight, and this can be produced by heavily coating the exterior with wax, asphaltum, plastic or the like. As desired, in situ or in position within the vehicle, e. g., the tail of aircraft (since these appear to escape damage in most crashes) or in a small boat, the casing and its contents may be slung from a plurality of springs such that heavy initial shock may be partly absorbed.

Also within the casing, II, is the battery, B, with all other elements described supra placed externally to the casing, H, and its contents, since operancy of the transmitter by virtue of my invention does not depend upon these, with the exception of the relay, 4, which must be mounted within, II.

The relay, 4, is a low-voltage, low-amperage operating magnetic type of relay, or other suitable relay as may be desired. The relay, 4, actuates the switch, C, through the contact arm, 44, opening or closing the contact, C. It is thus evident that when the contact, C, is closed, the radio transmitter, I, will be in operation through the leads 55 and 555, when the manual switch, 6, is closed, thereby making the system operable, i. e., the radio transmitter subject to action.

The switch, 6, is designed for manual use, making the invention ready for use, upon making this invention positioned within the vehicle or at least ready for use say before flight, or, before the battery, 2, is brought into play upon relay, 4. Once in place, the switch, 6, may be closed, and once closed is not opened until this device is removed from the vehicle, say for inspection or checking or repair.

To place the battery, 2, in control of the relay, 4, the switch, 3, is closed so as to complete the circuit through the contact 3 and the lead 333. The generator, magneto or like power source, which is part of the power-plant of the vehicle, shown by the letter G is then placed into operation, say by starting of the engine of the aircraft or ship. Then the switch, 3, is thrown so as to close upon contact 71 and through the leads I and 333. This invention is then ready to respond to breakage in any part of the system, or failure of the generator G to produce suflicient power to operate the relay, 4, and when this occurs the radio transmitter, I, is automatically put into operation by the closing of the contact C.

In the event that manual, human directed operation of this invention is desired, say just prior to emergency, the manual switch, 8, placed in the electric conduit between the switch 3 and the lead 333, is opened. This being a master control will regulate both sides of the circuit, the generator G and the battery 2.

While I have shown a preferred design and construction of my invention, it is obvious that other equivalents may be used and yet not violate the broad spirit nor scope of my invention and still accomplish the hereinbefore set forth objects. Thus, the generator G may have in its place a controlled supply of fluid pressure, e. g., water, oil, liquid or gaseous fuel, air, compressed or liquified gases and the like. And instead of electric leads or conduits, fluid conduit means, of suitable nature and well known in the art, would be used. A valve would therefore take the place of member 3, the electric switch. The relay would be substituted for by a diaphragm switch. Otherwise, the electric elements and means would be kept intact. The generator G therefore and the battery 2 would be eliminated in favor of, respectively, constant and motor controlled fluid pressure means, in what I call Fluid Pressure modification designs of my invention, as contrasted to the electrical form of my invention as set forth herein.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with an aircraft, a self-contained shock-proof and fire-proof distress signal transmitting radio which comprises radio actuation means positioned therewith said radio, the said actuation means being an electric relay, the said relay being in communication with a twoway manually controlled electric switch, the said switch being in communication with constant and variable sources of electric energies, the said constant source of electric energy being a battery, the said variable source of electric energy being a power plant generator characterized as supplying electric energy concurrently with the operation of the power plant, the said two-way switch being adapted to alternately connect the battery and the power generator to the relay, effective to automatically release radio distress signals upon failure of the power plant.

2. A self-contained, shock-proof and fire-proof distress signal transmitting radio for aircraft which consists of radio actuation means positioned therewith said radio, the said actuation means being an electric relay, the said relay being in communication with a two-way manually controlled electric switch, the said switch characterized as being within reach of the personnel thereof said aircraft, the said switch being in communication with the ignition battery of the aircraft and in communication with the power generator of the aircraft, the said two-way switch being adapted to alternately connect the battery and the power generator to the relay, the said power generator characterized as supplying electric energy coincidently with the operation of the power plant of the aircraft, effective to automatically release radio distress signals upon failure of the power plant of the aircraft.

BLAINE TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kohn Nov. 27, 1945 

